- Audi launches the new RS3 Competition Limited.
- The new RS3 comes in sedan and Sportback body styles, and is limited to just 750 units worldwide.
- It features unique bodywork with special design elements and minor performance changes.
- Prices start at €100,680 in Europe; no word yet on pricing for the US.
Audi is celebrating 50 years of its iconic five-cylinder engine the only way it knows how—with a rare special edition car. Meet the new Audi RS3 Competition Limited, created to mark five decades of Audi’s legendary five-cylinder power plant and packed with improvements.
This is the ultimate version of the current generation RS3—and sadly, it may also mark the end of an era. If this car is lost, Audi’s iconic five-cylinder car in its current form could be gone too; Stricter emissions regulations and a rapid shift towards electrification mean the 2.5-litre TFSI’s lifespan is coming to an end.
However, before the curtain rises, Audi will give the engine one final release. Audi will build only 750 units of RS3 Competition Limited worldwide: 585 Sportback and 165 sedan. Germany will receive 187 of the cars, including 158 Sportbacks. Unfortunately, the Sportback almost certainly won’t make it to the US.
The Sharper RS3
Photo by: Audi
Mechanically, the formula remains unchanged. The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine still delivers 400 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The sprint to 62 miles per hour takes 3.8 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 180 miles per hour.
What really stands out about the Competition Limited is what you don’t see. Audi reduced the insulation in the firewall between the engine compartment and the cabin, removing approximately 8.8 pounds of sound-dampening material so the distinctive five-cylinder soundtrack can reach passengers more directly.
The RS sport exhaust has also been recalibrated. In Dynamic, RS Performance and RS Torque Rear driving modes, the exhaust valve now opens earlier, producing a louder and more dramatic sound. Chassis upgrades should interest driving enthusiasts. For the first time, the RS3 is equipped with a factory-developed, model-specific coilover suspension.
The damper offers three-way adjustment—high- and low-speed compression, plus rebound. The ride height is 10.0 millimeters (0.4 inches) lower than the standard RS3, and the car comes with factory preset road settings. Owners who wish to fine-tune the suspension themselves will find a special tool kit and instructions included.
Audi also sharpened handling with a thicker, stiffer tubular rear anti-roll bar and increased rear spring rates. Carbon-ceramic brakes with red calipers are standard on the front axle, while optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tires promise serious grip.
Subtle Style Update
Photo by: Audi
Visually, the Competition Limited is perhaps the most striking RS3—and arguably one of the best-looking. Matte carbon fiber is used throughout, including a split front spoiler, new bumper, side skirts, diffuser and prominent roof spoiler. Filling the wheel arches are exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels finished in a matte “Neodymium Gold” finish.
The paint choices are equally distinctive. Along with new matte Daytona Gray and Glacier White, Audi is offering an exclusive Malachite Green—reflecting the original Audi Sport Quattro from 1983. And in true Audi style, there’s also a curious lighting detail: when locking or unlocking the car, the Matrix LED DRL lights illuminate in the five-cylinder firing order—1-2-4-5-3.
Inside, the limited edition adds a splash of color. Deep RS bucket seats with carbon backrests feature centers covered in neodymium-gold Dinamica microfiber. The stitching, seat belts and 12 o’clock steering wheel marker are finished in ginger white. The digital instrument cluster also adopts white-background gauges, echoing the analog dial of the Audi RS2 Avant from 1994. A numbered plaque on the center console emphasizes each car’s place in the 750-unit production run.
All this exclusivity doesn’t come cheap. In Germany, the RS3 Competition Limited Sportback starts at €100,680 ($117,136 at today’s exchange rates), while the sedan starts at €102,680 ($119,472). Prices for the United States have not yet been announced. That’s more than €44,000 ($51,195) above the base price of a standard RS3—even though every Competition Limited is well equipped.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in June 2026.
Motorcycle Pickup1: We really hope this isn’t the last we see of the RS3—or Audi’s iconic five-cylinder engine. Subtle visual upgrades and slight performance changes make the RS3 interesting, but this machine deserves more credit.
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